Serket Racing and Wells Fargo Surprise Veteran With Mortage-Free Home

Operation Homefront was pleased to join Serket Racing and Wells Fargo to surprise Army Specialist Joseph Saunders and his wife with a mortgage-free home at the Grand Prix of Baltimore recently. The home was awarded as part of our Homes on the Homefront program.

Learn more about Army Specialist Joseph Saunders:Joseph Saunders was born at Portsmouth Naval Medical Hospital. The son of a soldier, Joseph moved around quite a bit, but spent most of his younger years in the state of Maryland. With his father in the Army, and multiple members of his mother’s side of the family in the Navy, Joseph had always felt a strong sense of pride in his country. In 2004, Joseph was able to turn his pride into service and answer the call to serve, enlisting in the Army.

Joseph would serve at Osan Air Base in Korea, Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., and White Sands, N.M. Joseph also deployed to Iraq in 2006. While in Iraq, Joseph suffered a back injury that would eventually lead to his medical discharge from active duty. While his service to country ended early, Joseph has decided to find a way to serve in another capacity.

Following his transition from active duty, Joseph is now a government employee at Ft. Meade, Md. He has also been ordained as a Baptist Minister. He aspires to one day Pastor his own church, like his father.

Joseph and his wife Tara currently live in an apartment in Laurel, Md. They have always wanted to become homeowners, but due to multiple military moves the timing has never been right until now. With the help of Wells Fargo and Operation Homefront, the family’s dream of homeownership will finally be realized. In August of 2013, Joseph and Tara were informed that they would be awarded a mortgage-free home in Catonsville, Md., through the Homes on the Homefront program.

“This is going to be our first home, and that means the world to us,” said Joseph. “It is going to give us more room to do things and enjoy life. We are tremendously blessed and thankful for this as this is going to help us in so many ways.”